Katie O'Brien

Katie O'Brien is a reporter and producer for WBEZ's news desk. She covers a wide variety of issues--but to help simplify, WBEZ news anchor Melba Lara boils it down to "courts and sports." Katie first joined WBEZ as an intern for its weekday newsmagazine, Eight Forty-Eight in 2010; she later became a full-time producer for the program. When the station expanded its local midday programming to include The Afternoon Shift, Katie served as one of its producers and later, as the show’s director. She moved over to the news desk in early 2013 to focus on reporting.

Her radio work has been honored with awards from the Illinois Associated Press, the Society of Professional Journalists, the Chicago Headline Club, Public Radio News Directors Inc. and the National Association of Black Journalists.

Prior to joining WBEZ, Katie spent time working at The Onion's A.V. Club. She also worked as a paralegal at Kirkland & Ellis LLP in the firm's Intellectual Property and Litigation practices.

Katie hold a Masters of Science in Journalism from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and a B.S. in Psychology and Art History from the University of Colorado.

Veteran host Richard Steele will retire from his full-time post at WBEZ after 27 years in public radio. Those who've had the pleasure to work with him wanted to share the driveway moments they'll never forget

50 school-aged children have died so far this year in Chicago—on sidewalks, on streets, even inside a friend’s home. For parents living in neighborhoods where violence is a reality, even the most benign setting can feel unsafe and out of control.